Supervising Your Child’s Screen Time
By Shannon Loehrlein, MSW, LCSW – July 29, 2026 –
Many of us remember the days when we spent hours playing outside and didn’t come home until dinner. We had the freedom to explore our neighborhoods, make friends, and solve problems on our own. Today, many parents understandably hesitate to give their children that same freedom. Ironically, however, many children are given unrestricted access to something far more dangerous: the online world.
Most middle and high school students now have smartphones or school-issued computers that provide around-the-clock internet access. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, children ages 8–18 spend an average of 7.5 hours each day on screens. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links excessive recreational screen time to higher rates of obesity, anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and reduced social support. National Public Radio (NPR) has also reported on research connecting excessive screen use with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teens.
I have worked as a middle school social worker for seven years, and I have witnessed a troubling rise in depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and unhealthy dependence on phones. While many factors contribute to these challenges, excessive screen use appears to play a significant role. I also see firsthand the harmful content students encounter online, including cyberbullying, sexually explicit material, and contact from online predators.
Our school district uses software that monitors school-issued devices for concerning activity. We have received alerts after midnight showing students discussing self-harm and suicide on their school computers. In some cases, students have encouraged one another to take their own lives or shared advice about cutting and other forms of self-injury. I have personally reviewed these alerts. They are a sobering reminder that the dangers young people face online do not end when the school day is over.
As parents, we need to take a more active role in supervising our children’s technology use. Most parents would never allow their child to visit a stranger’s house alone late at night, yet many unknowingly allow unrestricted access to devices that can connect them with strangers at any hour. Without healthy boundaries and safeguards, children can be exposed to serious risks.
Our family has established simple rules that have worked well. Our kids charge their devices in our bedroom each night, and school-issued computers stay downstairs and are used only for schoolwork. These boundaries eliminate late-night online activity and create opportunities for healthier routines.
I also encourage parents to delay social media use until high school whenever possible. In my experience, many middle school students lack the emotional maturity to navigate social media responsibly. I frequently see young adolescents struggling with low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and self-harm that are intensified by online interactions. My own middle school daughter has a phone, but she does not have social media, and apps on her phone can only be downloaded with parental approval.
Finally, I believe schools should consider returning to a model in which students complete their work during the school day and leave school devices in the classroom. Educators already spend significant time redirecting students away from games, YouTube, and messaging during class. Based on my experience, reducing screen time—both at school and at home—would improve students’ learning, mental health, and overall well-being.
Shannon Loehrlein, MSW, LCSW, is a Youth First Mental Health Professional at Thompkins Middle School in Vanderburgh County. Youth First, Inc., is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 130 schools across 14 Indiana counties. Over 55,000 youth and families each year are served by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336.
